How I use innovative methods to make cash on tiny farm
For many budding farmers, access to land has always been a major hurdle. But one Cleophas Obwogi did not let that cut short his vision of becoming an outstanding farmer.
Obwogi, 31, who hails from Bogeka ward, Kisii County practises mixed farming in his small piece of land measuring 70ft by 100ft where he has embraced maximum land use and appropriate technology for excellent agricultural produce.
“By doing this, it is just one way of encouraging young people that you can still make the best use of that little space you have and reap from it,” says Obwogi, a father of one.
In a typical month, he makes an average Sh50,000 from his farm and has employed four workers.
Innovative ideas
Due to limited space, he has had to come up with innovative ideas that will enable him grow more crops and keep some livestock. He also reads widely content on unique farming methods and watches farming shows on television and youtube to enable him come up with unique farming techniques.
He introduced the hanging garden technique in his small homestead and through this, he can grow crops by suspending them on air.
“I tried to create space on air and what better way than coming up with a hanging garden where I use sacks to grow a variety of vegetables such as sukuma wiki, spinach and managu. The yields are just the same as when grown on land surface,” says Obwogi.
Besides the hanging technique, he also practises hydroponic and organic farming.
Besides vegetables, Obwogi also grows strawberries, gooseberries, mushrooms and rears chicken, dairy goats, rabbits, cattle, pigs, doves, turkeys, ducks, stingless bees and fish both for consumption and ornamental purposes.
When he started
Obwogi began his farming venture when he was still in school.
“I started by rearing a small number of chicken with the help of my parents until when I reached class seven and took full control. Later on, I got a chance to join Kisii High School but due to lack of school fees, I had to drop out and join a day school. In the morning before going to school I would wake up early and tend to my chicken and by the time I finished form four I had 50 chicken,” he says.
After completing high school, Obwogi increased the number of his chicken to 200 but unfortunately, they were affected by a disease and he lost all of them.
“I was so depressed as I depended on the chicken to sustain our family. I decided to go to Nairobi where I started selling sugarcane, something I did for four months before someone convinced me that he will take me to Maseno University to pursue a course that ended up being a lie," he says.
From this episode, Obwogi faced several challenges with people taking advantage and promising him opportunities that never materialised.
Bounced back
In 2014, he went back to Kisii and started cultivating farms for people for a small pay.
“I got Sh400 which I used to buy chicken. By 2015, I had 1,500 chicken and from the proceeds I got I was able to support my mother and siblings,” he says.
Unfortunately, New Castle Disease affected the chicken in his farm and after visiting several agrovets for a cure, Obwogi decided to construct a chicken ward where he could nurse all the birds that had been affected by the viral disease.
“Of 1,500 birds, I lost 20 per cent of them and managed to save 80%. With the hope that they would be productive again, I secured a loan from a local bank to buy feeds but they still produced fewer eggs. I ended up selling them and ran into losses," he explains. This experience is what made Obwogi decide to venture into mixed farming.
“With mixed farming, I thought to myself that I would incorporate many things in the farm so that if I lose from one side I can gain from another,” he says.
With a lot of modification and creativity, he has constructed three greenhouses on his small farm. The big greenhouse measures 8 by 20metres and in it, he has planted strawberries. The other one measures 5 by 8metres and is constructed on top of his house where he plants gooseberries, a wild fruit that is known for its medicinal value. The other greenhouse is constructed on top of the fish pond.
Obwogi has since shifted from raising chicken for eggs and now concentrates on hatching and raising chicks of the improved kienyeji F1. The 1-day old chicks are sold at between Sh.90 and Sh.100 while the 1-month-old chicks are sold at between Sh. 230 and Sh.250.
"I have also acquired skills in making incubators which I sell. I started with manual incubators and can now make automatic ones that use electricity. I can make one that can hold up to 10,000 chicks,” he says.
According to Obwogi, he targets the local market to sell produce with the hope that one day if he acquires more land he will be able to expand his market reach.
From time to time, he gets visitors at his farm who want to learn about his farming techniques which he is happy to share. “I want to become someone influential in society hence I dream that one day my farm will be a learning centre,” he says.
Though he is currently pursuing a degree in Education at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Obwogi is quick to point out that he has already set his vision and goals on farming and hopes to touch people’s lives directly from his farm.
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